I use Microsoft Security Essentials and it is free. But it only works on computers thru Windows 7. With Windows 8 the Microsoft security is already built into the computer. At least it was for the Dell computer I just bought my son. Free is what I like best and Microsoft Security Essentials is what my tech web developer DS recommended to me. That's good enough for me! He has been dealing with computers for as long as I can remember.Hope you all figure out your problems.

I loved CCR from the first moment I started using it. I didn't have any problems with syncing or getting it to work but I did have to go watch videos on youtube and learn things it could do. Since using CCR in May (I think) I have used my cricut machine a lot more than I ever did the past 2 years.

I know most who bought their Gypsys love them! I don't blame them. My main reason for not buying one at launch was the pricing.....but, mostly the fact it was a small screen. That would not have worked so good for me with my arthritis issues (holding onto smaller things is not the easiest, so the computer keyboard and screen works so much better for me.

We all have our reasons....and, we should respect everyone else's decisions. Most of us certainly do.

Char

That's the same reason I never was interested in the gyspy. Too small for me! I saved my money and bought me a cheap laptop ($300 one) just to use with design studio. I was super excited when they came out with CCR. Now I have the laptop that's just used for CCR and to check out cricut.com handbooks.

I have had my one and only expression now going on I think 7 years and purchased design studio shortly after getting my e. I have never used my e stand alone - tried to in a pinch but it is just too limiting. I have used ccr ever since the launch and have never had problems that caused me any great frustration and I don't even have the best of internet. CCR is so much better than ds. When I do have problems, I think it usually has to do with my internet. I have dsl and live literally at the end of the rope for distance requirements - so my son says,who works for the phone company (all greek to me)

CCR has gotten better with every update and even though it could still be improved upon and has little glitches, I would never stop using it. I just so wish they would make it a purchase software so that I could go anywhere and use it. I miss taking my cricut and laptop to the lake. I am not interested in the gypsy at all, it is way to small - I like having more real estate with my laptop to design on.

I have had my one and only expression now going on I think 7 years and purchased design studio shortly after getting my e. I have never used my e stand alone - tried to in a pinch but it is just too limiting. I have used ccr ever since the launch and have never had problems that caused me any great frustration and I don't even have the best of internet. CCR is so much better than ds. When I do have problems, I think it usually has to do with my internet. I have dsl and live literally at the end of the rope for distance requirements - so my son says,who works for the phone company (all greek to me)

CCR has gotten better with every update and even though it could still be improved upon and has little glitches, I would never stop using it. I just so wish they would make it a purchase software so that I could go anywhere and use it. I miss taking my cricut and laptop to the lake. I am not interested in the gypsy at all, it is way to small - I like having more real estate with my laptop to design on.

I think you are the FIRST person I've ever heard say they like CCR over DS. I actually couldn't put DS on my old computer (tried; and, I wanted so badly to be able to weld...which I had done manually with glue and staples up to that point)! I didn't have enough RAM on my old computer; plus, it had had a virus and when I reinstalled the operating system on it, a component of Windows XP would not update because of some lawsuit with Microsoft. So, I had a "broken" operating system. DS simply would not work on it. SO, I WAS ECSTATIC when I heard we were going to get a FREE program that was at least every bit as good as DS.

[quote=CricketCMV;1751712]I think you are the FIRST person I've ever heard say they like CCR over DS.

Oh my, ccr has so many more features over ds and is easier to use, that in my opinion there is no comparison. There is one thing that ccr won't do that ds does that on a very rare occasion i will go back and us ds for. And that is where I need to cut something bigger than the mat will allow and piece together. ccr won't cut anything that lies outside the mat cutting boundaries where ds will cut what is on the mat and skip what lies outside. I really think I have the best of all worlds with the versatility of the orig expression. I have both ccr and ds on my laptop and they both work with my e and I have the old vers of scal,although I don't care for it and have only used it for a couple of projects, it still works with my e.

I have my friends imagine, which she hated and I am not too fond of myself but it works somewhat now with ccr so on rare occasion I will pull it out and see what attitude it has at the moment. Never know what or if it will do anything I want it to do from one time to the next. Besides I really like cutting and layering images, don't like the white core that you get when you color your own imagine papers and I just don't like the flat look of the printed images.

CCR & E all the way. I just hope that when my E goes that I will be able to replace it with another E.

I am still having trouble with it as it will only cut 1 page at a time and crashes! Works great otherwise. I will be calling PC again for more assistance. Guess it has to do with my anti virus and they sent me a sheet to follow and that doesn't work so I guess they will need to walk me through it. Wish I could report better news as it is great to design at work and cut at home.

I have an Imagine, an Expression & a Gypsy! I like my Imagine, but I love my Expression & Gypsy! I also have DS & like to use it too. The CCR, NOT SO MUCH, but getting more use to it. I am pretty good with the computer & have found the CCR infuriating at times! I think PC has not tested & thought out some of the things that has been done in the last year or so! I hate that they are no longer updating the DS & have completely discontinued the Gypsy. I am waiting for the day that they quit updating the Gypsy too! There are lots of crops that I attend that do not have internet access which makes CCR not an option! I would like to see PC consider a hand-held device like the Gypsy only more the size of a tablet. I don't think they listen to their loyal customers when input like this is given to better their customer service!

I want to try CCR... I got a new laptop that runs Windows 8 (which I sincerely do not care for). Questions:

Does CCR run on Windows 8?

If I update my CE2 to run CCR can I still use without CCR? (this scares me as I love my E2)

If I use CCR can I also still use my gypsy? I don't use my gypsy all that much but when I need it I need it.

Thanks for your advice ladies!Jeanene

Hopefully someone will see and respond to you that knows way more than I do about the techy stuff. All I can offer is that between myself, mother and my daughter inlaw, we have 3 orig expressions. I run ccr on my old laptop using xp, my new laptop using windows 7 professional and my mother an dil both use windows 8 but have to run ccr in windows 7 compatibility mode and both my mother and dil had to allow ccr in their anti-virus(arvast). I did not have to do anything with either of my laptops anti-virus , one is kaspersky and the other is mcafee (i think)

I want to try CCR... I got a new laptop that runs Windows 8 (which I sincerely do not care for). Questions:

Does CCR run on Windows 8? Yes it does. I recently purchased a new computer that runs Windows 8. I didn't even have to run it in Windows 7 compatibility mode. And I didn't have to add any anti-virus exceptions either. Just installed CCR and off I went! But be prepared that you might have to do one or both on yours.

If I update my CE2 to run CCR can I still use without CCR? (this scares me as I love my E2). Yes.

If I use CCR can I also still use my gypsy? I don't use my gypsy all that much but when I need it I need it. Yes. In fact you can link all those carts on your Gypsy to CCR so that you will have them on both.

Since this is still active, I'll post a pic of one of my frustrations. I know not everyone gets this. The shapes are grouped and welded. The rectangle just need to be a little bit bigger to cover a curved part of the b that shouldn't cut. Before making it bigger, everything worked just fine. Making the rectangle just 1/8th or less of an inch bigger caused it to pink out. I did try sending each shape backward and forward and nothing worked.

My work around will be just to use a circle and a tall skinny rectangle. or just cut on the gypsy. But, I like how the b looks. I'm making some boo cards for Halloween.

So, for those of us who have problems no one else does, no, we are not crazy.

Goofy, goofy, goofy.

Mary

And I'm giggling right now because now it saves as separate shapes and will not weld together. And now I saved it, and every single one of the shapes disappeared. I have a blank mat after saving.

Just want to echo what Narelle said -- CCR works fine with Windows 8 'as is' (ie I don't run it in compatability mode.) I also upgraded my PC recently and everything is working fine with CCR and my Imagine and E2.

My Expression was rendered useless to use MANUALLY with one of the updates for CCR.

I have never heard too many say anything about this; so, I'm assuming it only happened to me, alone! (Which I don't really believe....and, I do think a few others have said they can't use theirs manually, now, too). I decided I would just live with it.....but, I wasn't too happy about it. If I didn't LOVE CCR so much, I would have fought it out more with PC. They did not believe their update caused my Expression to stop working manually....but, it did. It was working manually before the update, because I had to use it one time when I couldn't get CCR to work (when it was down) and I was trying to get something done on a deadline.

So, I don't know what the statistics are; but, there has not been much said on here by others that they have had this problem.

Since this is still active, I'll post a pic of one of my frustrations. I know not everyone gets this. The shapes are grouped and welded. The rectangle just need to be a little bit bigger to cover a curved part of the b that shouldn't cut. Before making it bigger, everything worked just fine. Making the rectangle just 1/8th or less of an inch bigger caused it to pink out. I did try sending each shape backward and forward and nothing worked.

My work around will be just to use a circle and a tall skinny rectangle. or just cut on the gypsy. But, I like how the b looks. I'm making some boo cards for Halloween.

So, for those of us who have problems no one else does, no, we are not crazy.

Goofy, goofy, goofy.

Mary

And I'm giggling right now because now it saves as separate shapes and will not weld together. And now I saved it, and every single one of the shapes disappeared. I have a blank mat after saving.

I have no idea what's going on with what you're trying to do in welding those shapes together.

I just wanted to say.........I DON'T THINK ANYONE IS CRAZY who has their problems in CCR. I hope you don't think that's what I'm trying to say (I don't think you are thinking this; but, I'm not so sure).

It's sad that there are so many different systems out there trying to run other systems and they are all not compatible with each other.

AND, maybe you think those of us who don't have all that much trouble in CCR are gloating......no, we're not. I'm not, anyway. It's just interesting to me that some of us can get CCR to do almost everything we want, it's very efficient to us and others have sooooooo much trouble....through no fault of their own but just because there are so many different scenarios out there which causes problems with PC's setups for various users.

I just wanted to say.........I DON'T THINK ANYONE IS CRAZY who has their problems in CCR. I hope you don't think that's what I'm trying to say (I don't think you are thinking this; but, I'm not so sure).

It's sad that there are so many different systems out there trying to run other systems and they are all not compatible with each other.

AND, maybe you think those of us who don't have all that much trouble in CCR are gloating......no, we're not. I'm not, anyway. It's just interesting to me that some of us can get CCR to do almost everything we want, it's very efficient to us and others have sooooooo much trouble....through no fault of their own but just because there are so many different scenarios out there which causes problems with PC's setups for various users.

I ALWAYS WANT TO KNOW the answers to everyone's problems!! LOL.

Char

Char, I would never think ill of you or assume what you are thinking, and no I don't think anyone is gloating! I'm thankful that you started this post. I also like to hear success and problems people have been having. You are right about seeking the answers because that can help others.

I have no ill feelings about CCR, and at this point, it is entertaining to me to see what happens. Who knows, maybe tomorrow it will all work out.

I suspect that my internet connection has something to do with this. Although it is considered a fast connection, it can blink on and off in a millisecond without me evening knowing it, so maybe that is part of the problem.

At least I have the gypsy which works really well with the mini.

I have to say, though, that my appetite for carts has greatly decreased. I was at Joannes today looking at the carts on sale, and just walked away. I have a feeling if CCR was a desktop application, I would have probably been standing there awhile trying to decide which one to purchase.

I have to say, though, that my appetite for carts has greatly decreased. I was at Joannes today looking at the carts on sale, and just walked away. I have a feeling if CCR was a desktop application, I would have probably been standing there awhile trying to decide which one to purchase.

Mary

Mary - I feel the same way. I don't know what it is about the cartridges that have come out over the past few years, but they just aren't doing it for me. While they aren't doing it for me, I realize there are probably a lot of new users out here who are loving them because they are unable to get some of the great cartridges we were able to get several years ago (although, I think almost all of them are available somewhere....if you want to pay the prices for them).

Honestly, I don't know what it is I'm hoping for, but I'm not seeing anything I need/want. They all start looking the same to me. I'm easily distracted, though. I have enough "cute" stuff; I have enough frames; borders; laces; etc.!!

I don't really know what it is I'm waiting for; but, I'm not seeing it. I HAVE EVERY FAITH PC will start coming up with some new stuff, though!! SOON!! LOL. Maybe we've seen it all.

Since this is still active, I'll post a pic of one of my frustrations. I know not everyone gets this. The shapes are grouped and welded. The rectangle just need to be a little bit bigger to cover a curved part of the b that shouldn't cut. Before making it bigger, everything worked just fine. Making the rectangle just 1/8th or less of an inch bigger caused it to pink out. I did try sending each shape backward and forward and nothing worked.

My work around will be just to use a circle and a tall skinny rectangle. or just cut on the gypsy. But, I like how the b looks. I'm making some boo cards for Halloween.

So, for those of us who have problems no one else does, no, we are not crazy.

Goofy, goofy, goofy.

Mary

And I'm giggling right now because now it saves as separate shapes and will not weld together. And now I saved it, and every single one of the shapes disappeared. I have a blank mat after saving.

Don't feel bad Mary. The same thing happened to me a couple of nights age when I was trying to weld some figures together. Boy was I frustrated by the time I was done. Last night it seemed to be working fine.

the other night I was cutting out images from a cartridge (I think it was Children Around the World) and I needed to cut 2 of the same image. I was cutting out the bases and one of them cut with the small cuts that shows you where to place the layers while the 2nd one didn't cut any of the marks. I thought that was really weird. has this happened to anyone else?

the other night I was cutting out images from a cartridge (I think it was Children Around the World) and I needed to cut 2 of the same image. I was cutting out the bases and one of them cut with the small cuts that shows you where to place the layers while the 2nd one didn't cut any of the marks. I thought that was really weird. has this happened to anyone else?

Mary - I feel the same way. I don't know what it is about the cartridges that have come out over the past few years, but they just aren't doing it for me. While they aren't doing it for me, I realize there are probably a lot of new users out here who are loving them because they are unable to get some of the great cartridges we were able to get several years ago (although, I think almost all of them are available somewhere....if you want to pay the prices for them).

Honestly, I don't know what it is I'm hoping for, but I'm not seeing anything I need/want. They all start looking the same to me. I'm easily distracted, though. I have enough "cute" stuff; I have enough frames; borders; laces; etc.!!

I don't really know what it is I'm waiting for; but, I'm not seeing it. I HAVE EVERY FAITH PC will start coming up with some new stuff, though!! SOON!! LOL. Maybe we've seen it all.

Char

I feel the exact same way. I have just bought 2 carts that I personally don't like at all. Stand and Salute and Dude. Why?? Because I am on the last leg of my cart collection and I "might" have a use for them someday. I will also buy the new "create a friend" cart. I don't like it, but one of the grandkids might. Besides the Artbooking cart there has not been one single new cart in the last year that appealed to me. And Joanns? Forget it.

I would love to see more "realistic" type images or background, nature images.

And in regard to the original post - I'm strictly buying carts now because CCR is too buggy for me. It is unreliable. And I don't want a big ol laptop and mouse on my crafting table. I'm going strictly with carts now. No more digital. I don't even want a Silhouette machine anymore either.

You cannot post new topics in this forum.
You cannot reply to topics in this forum.
You cannot delete your posts in this forum.
You cannot edit your posts in this forum.
You cannot create polls in this forum.
You cannot vote in polls in this forum.